Peshmerga official: no solid plan for Mosul liberation
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, announced on Wednesday that Peshmerga forces will participate in the liberation of Mosul but the details of the operation have not been comprehensively discussed among the Iraqi Government, the Kurdistan Region, and U.S.-led coalition forces.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Jabar Yawar, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, announced on Wednesday that Peshmerga forces will participate in the liberation of Mosul but the details of the operation have not been comprehensively discussed among the Iraqi Government, the Kurdistan Region, and U.S.-led coalition forces.
Yawar stated that Mosul has a strategic importance for national security of the Kurdistan Region. He added that it is very close to the Region's capital, Erbil, and “If Mosul is retaken IS will end in Iraq.” Yawar revealed Peshmerga will assist Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led coalition in liberating Mosul but did not elaborate. He said, “We have not specified a date for the start of Mosul operation. There are still areas between Ramadi and Mosul under IS control which need to be liberated first.”
On Monday, Iraqi forces declared the liberation of Ramadi, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Baghdad. This victory is the Iraqi armies' most important gain in 2015. Upon arriving in Ramadi, Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, stated Iraqi forces will next focus on the liberation of Mosul. “We are coming for Mosul,” he said.
On the same day, in Baghdad, Hoshyar Zebari, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, emphasized Kurds are a key player in retaking Mosul. In an interview with Reuters he said, “Peshmerga [are] a major force, you cannot liberate Mosul without Peshmerga.” Zebari added that retaking Mosul “needs planning, preparations, and commitment from all the key players.”